You Said You Wanted Fireflies
by Jynx Tsilevon
Summary: Part III: Thirty years before Cloud's gift to Tifa, Vincent learned a reason to love spring. Thirty years later, and with a little help from two familiar demons, he remembers why. Written with help from Sno Italever.
1. Part I: Tifa's Fireflies

**A/N:** This is a story my sister (Sno Italever) and I wrote a long time ago. It spawned off of a picture I found on the net of a Cloud holding a lantern filled with fireflies and looking hopeful.

It's written in Tifa's view, first person. Jonny is actually a character from FFVII, but Beth we made up. It takes place pre-game, the same year Cloud leaves for SOLDIER.

**Disclamer: Sno and I do not own FFVII or Square Enix...but we'd really like too...Really...**

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You Said You Wanted Fireflies

I live in a small town. You know the type: live there for a month and you already know everyone, the biggest crimes are some cocky eighteen-year-old trying to steal a pack of gum, there's one school for Pre K to College, etc. See what I mean?

That's what you get for living in Niblehiem.

But I'm not bashing my home. Honestly, I love it here. Especially in the early spring, the best season of the whole year. That's when all the fields are full to their limit with fireflies.

Sometimes, it's so bright from the little bugs' glow, it seems like it's day instead of night. Plus, the spring holds a special memory to me; the memory of true love.

Now, in this small town, everyone was friends. Except for one person. His name was Cloud, and he was my neighbor. He lived with his mom, because his dad died before he was born. His mother, Mrs. Strife, was really nice and everyone liked her. But Cloud, he's really different. He has the 'sad and lonely' look about him and he always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time…more like _all _the time. Then again, most people just love to blame things on him.

Such as the instance back when we were ten, my neighbors down the lost their cat. A week later, Cloud showed up at there house with the very cat that went missing. They didn't thank him for finding the cat, though. They actually said he stole the cat and…his scars really never faded away….

I don't like to think about it. I know it's not _my_ fault, but still…

And then, of course, there was the incident with the Mt. Nible…but that wasn't his fault either…

In our society of 'stay in sight and follow the leader', Cloud is the one playing hide-n-seek. He more like Light in Dark's clothing, with messy blond hair and the clearest, brightest, crystal blue eyes one has ever seen. They almost seemed to glow in the dark, too. He always wore the same faded army jacket and camouflaged-colored baseball cap. The hat was always pulled low over his face, so you could only see the tip of his nose and mouth. I never knew why he hid his eyes…maybe they embarrassed him. Oh, and he always had a faded old messenger bag with him. I think it used to be beige once, but now it was just an aged, faded brown.

If I think about it, everything I was, he was the reverse of. I had a caring, loving family, and was loved by society, while he only had his mom and everyone shunned him as an outcast. Even physically we were opposites, for he is male while I am female and have chocolate brown hair, red-brown eyes, and wear all the latest fashions and trends.

Basically, we were the two ends of the same magnet; repelled by the laws of nature but attracted by a force still unknown to us.

But I digress….

It was one night in the beginning of spring. You know, when it's still kind of cold but everyone still starts packing away the boots and winter jackets and begging to pull out the shorts. If I remember right, it was about 10:30 and my friends and I were sitting on a fence, looking out at the fields at the very edge of town. We were waiting for fireflies.

"This is sorta romantic, huh, Tifa?" my friend, Jonny, asked. He'd been my best friend since I was in kindergarten, along with Beth, who sat on the other side of me as we spoke. By the way, in the story of the life, Beth and Jonny are the most oblivious people I've ever met. They both like each other but neither of them have enough guts to ask the other out. Hopeless, I know!

"Yeah, romantic…" Beth said, looking out at the fields.

"It would be if there were fireflies…" I muttered quietly. "I really wish there were fireflies."

"Fireflies would make the evening nice. You know what would make it better? If I had a _boyfriend_," Beth stated, over-enunciating the last word. Alas, Jonny was totally oblivious to the flashing neon lights implying a want for a relationship. I already told you those two were hopeless.

"That would be nice…" Jonny said, staring off into space.

"You're hopeless!" I laughed, a little louder than I should of.

Behind us there was a yelp that sounded like a mix between a startled human and a hurt dog.

"WEREWOLF!" Beth screamed, jumping from the fence and running to Jonny

"ZOMBIE!" Jonny shouted, leaping into the air and running to Beth. The collision connecting the two of them reminded me of the silent comedy films from the older days.

As the two of them were apologizing and picking up their broken egos, I played the heroine and searched the dark tree-lined street behind us. By the reactions of both Jonny and Beth, I expected to see some type of monster or mythical creature ready to devour us in an instant.

Or maybe the thing that occupied the Shin-Ra Manor.

Of course, in the anticlimactically fashion that is my life, there was absolutely nothing but nature behind us. I thought I'd seen the outline of a body, but it was just a tree.

"Ha! What are you two afraid of? There's nothing there!" I said, laughing, but they weren't convinced, and neither was I.

"I swear there was someone there…" Beth murmured.

"Think it was Cloud? Ya know, spyin' on real people to try to be one?" Jonny asked. I walked over and socked him in the arm.

"Don't be a jerk," I muttered, glaring at him. He held his hands up in surrender.

"Sorry…it slipped…" All of my friends knew that we didn't talk bad about anyone, especially Cloud, when around me. Because the truth was, I actually thought Cloud was…

"Let's just go home. It's probably too early in the season for fireflies anyway," Beth stated, pulling me out of my thoughts. I shrugged, suddenly not caring about if someone had been spying on us, the fireflies, or even the fact that I was out past my curfew. (It was 11:00 p.m. according to my watch…) I just wanted to be alone so I could think.

"I agree, let's…AH!" Jonny yelped, grabbing his head and beginning to do what looked like a prehistoric rain dance. "Something hit me! Oh no! I'm marked! I'm goin' ta die! NO! I'm too young to live! I mean, die! I haven't lived my fourteen years of life to the fullest yet!"

"Um…Jonny? It was just a rock…" Beth said, shaking her head and laughing.

"Oh…I knew that…" Jonny stated, dropping his hands to his sides and staring lamely at the sky. Behind us, someone whispered:

"Oopse…didn't mean to hit him…" We all whipped around, but, once again, there was no one there. Something tangible caught my eye again: a piece of paper was tacked to the fence we'd just been sitting on. I walked up to it and pulled out the tack, unfolding the piece of paper. It read:

**Tifa,**

**Meet me in the far edge of the fields at the twelfth bell. I have a…gift for you…But…um…you don't…have to come if you don't…want to…but…um…the gift might not last after tonight…so…please come…? **

"Gift?" I exclaimed. "For me?"

"Twelfth bell…as in…midnight?" Beth gushed, grinning at Jonny.

"Looks like someone has a secret admirer!" Jonny mused, grinning back at Beth. I was glad it was dark so neither of them could see the shade of red I turned. I looked at my watch to hide my face. It was 11:30.

"Um...well…guess I should go, huh?" I said, "Don't want to break this guy's heart or nothing, right?"

"Good idea. Nothing kills guys more than a shattered heart and a pierced ego," Jonny stated.

"Speaking from experience, Jonny?" Beth taunted, starting off towards the far edge of the fields. I followed, snickering. Jonny stood still, confused for a moment, and then caught up with us.

Before I knew it, I was running. I suddenly didn't care about Beth and Jonny and their oblivious nature, or that this could all be just a cruel joke. I just wanted to know what was going on and if my admirer was…

We reached the edge of the field right as my clock hit twelve. I looked around, expecting to see someone, anyone, standing there, waiting for me.

And yet, just like both times before, there was no one. Nothing. Zip, zilch, nil, nada, naught. I let out a heart-broken sigh, even though my head was repeating the same thought, over and over again: _told ya so…told ya so…_

"What a cruel joke!" Beth scoffed. Jonny agreed whole-heartedly.

"It leaves a bad taste in my mouth, thinking anyone would do that to my friend…" he stated.

"Whatever…" I muttered, turning around. "What should have happened? Should my admirer jump from the shadows or fall from the sky?"

Call it fate, karma, chance, whatever you want, but somehow, at that very moment, a dark cloud covered the moon, taking away the little light there was. But the world didn't fall into darkness like it should have.

Across the field was a light, moving slowly, meaningfully towards us. It bobbed up and down, as if it was being carried by an invisible hand, a moving shadow. It was strangely comforting, yet oddly terrifying. I couldn't take my eyes away from it.

As the light grew in size and shape, I began to notice that it wasn't just one light, but many. It looked to be almost like five hundred little dots all clustered together in some type of container. No, a lantern filled with _fireflies_! And it was being carried to us!

Suddenly, I could make out the distinct description of the person, for the light from the lantern could have rivaled the Sun's in the darkness.

The apologetic look in Cloud's eyes explained everything. Silent tears carved their paths down my cheeks and rained onto the ground. And then he spoke the very words that echo through my memories.

"You…said you wanted fireflies."

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**A/N**: How did you like it? Please review if you get a chance! Thank you for reading!

**Sno: **Yes, thank you very much.


	2. Part II: Cloud's Goodbye

**A/N: So, Yeah...we did write a sequel to Fireflies...Enjoy the continuation by us two Psycho Twins, JynxTsilevon and Sno Italever. :-)**

**Um, Right. This is in Cloud's view, FYI. Enjoy!**

**The first two of these will probably be the only ones that relate to each other, if we do more.**

You Said You Wanted Fireflies

Part II

Somehow, I got enough guts to catch all those fireflies and give them to Tifa. Somehow, I didn't get killed by Johnny. Actually, the look on Johnny's face was hilarious. He looked like someone who'd woken up and found their reflection in the mirror was not their reflection but one of a donkey's. 

How's it feel to come in second?

Beth looked envious. Maybe it was because Johnny, being the bonehead that he was, couldn't see her obvious infatuation with him. The only reason I know is because I watch everything.

I am a living shadow, after all. 

"Cloud?" Tifa asked. My eyes went wide. Crap! Now what do I do? (Of course she had to know who it was. I was standing two feet in front of her, duh!) 

_Tell her the truth…Tell her the truth…She knows you're leaving, tell her the truth._ Tifa had taken the lantern now. I didn't have it anymore. So that meant she liked it? Did she? For once, had I done something right?

"Did you…do this all for me?" She was still talking…good, that meant I could just sit and listen. Stand and listen…Wait, a question…answer! Have to answer…

Please say something that doesn't make me sound like an idiot!

"Yes." Really smooth! Genius word choice! It's a wonder I _don't_ have a girlfriend already! (If you can't tell, I'm being sarcastic.)

"Why?" It wasn't an angry question, like I'm used to hearing. (Why did you do this? Why did you do that? Why are you so stupid?) No, it was a…interested question. A nice one…

But, to me, answering that simple question was like asking me to give a speech in front of all my peers. Not going to happen.

Not audibly.

"What was that?" she asked, smiling. "You're whispering too softly. Speak up, Cloud." Strange; in a world always telling me to shut up, Tifa is here telling me to be louder. 

"I just wanted to make a memory…" I muttered, loud enough for myself to hear this time. I think she heard it too, because she's blushing now. 

Strange words…Mom told me that's what Dad told her when he proposed to her. Mom never told me what happened to Dad. Just about the memories.

Memories are important…if I'm going away; I want some good ones… just a few, to help me forget what it's like in Hell. 

"For when you're gone?" she asked. She sounded sad. Strange…Tifa shouldn't sound sad. Ever (I tend to beat up the people who make her sad…don't tell Mom).

_Good one, _you_ made her sad. You idiot!_

"Yeah." Maybe it's time I stopped living up to everyone's view of me being the silent one. Maybe it's time I start saying more…

"You want to remember me after you're gone?" Tifa asked. Her eyes lit up…or maybe that was just the little fireflies in the lantern. Yeah, that was probably it…

"Of course," I said. "You're nice and funny and pretty…"

"Pretty?" 

"Pretty…smart!" I said, smiling like an idiot. She smiled an all knowing smile back at me. Because only girls can have that smile… because girls can read minds…

"You really think so?" she asked. I nodded, no longer trusting my speech. 

"Tifa! Come on, we have to go!" Johnny shouted suddenly. I winced. Tifa looked back at him, looking kind of angry (again, I'm probably imagining things).

"Stop being so impatient," Beth said, "she has all the time in the world!" 

"But Beth…!" Johnny started. Tifa turned back to me and I ignored the other two, so I didn't hear what the bonehead's argument was. 

"Thanks Cloud. This is the best gift I've ever gotten," Tifa said. Sincerely. 

"Uh…you're welcome…" I said, backing up slightly. Tifa looked at me, confused. What she didn't see was her father was walking across the field, towards us. 

"Cloud…are you alright?" Tifa asked.

"TIFA!" Mr. Lockheart yelled. Beth, Johnny, and Tifa all turned around, and I took this moment to escape. I think Lockheart saw me though…

Damn it.

And so, like always, I was running away. 

But, unlike always, I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going.

So that's why I ran into (and fell over) the fence surrounding the haunted Shinra Manor.

"OW!" I shouted, quickly covering my mouth and looking behind me, to see if I was followed. (Funny, I'm more scared of Mr. Lockheart than I am of the zombies, demons, and ghosts that are said to haunt the Manor.) No one was behind me. I was safe. 

A creaking noise from in front of me forced me back to reality and told me that I was probably not safe. Not that I cared, really. If there _were_ any monsters in the Manor, they would have killed me all the other times I snuck into the building to hide or do homework or just plain be alone. 

"Hey monsters, guess what?" I said, not too loud (yes, I'm paranoid), but audible. "I gave that gift I told you about to Tifa." Yes, I admit it, I'd rather talk to monsters and undead than real people. 

No reply. But I wasn't really expecting one. 

"I think she liked it," I continued, walking up to the door fearlessly. I really hadn't been afraid of this place since the first time the kids from town chased me here and locked me in. I had to sit on the stairs for three hours before my mom found me. "I mean, she didn't laugh or anything." I walked in and sat on the stairs, like I always did when I came here. Sometimes I'd sit and stare at the stained glass above the grand staircase or just at the dusty floor, marked only by my footprints and some foot (claw?) marks from the monsters I know live in the other rooms. 

They didn't bother me, though.

I'd explored this place from top to bottom, every room except for one, which was locked. And I looked for the key everywhere. 

"So…yeah…maybe I'll be able to focus now when I go to SOLDIER." I stood up, nodding. "So…um…see ya later…goodnight." I walked out of the front doors again and headed towards my house. 

Suddenly, something grabbed me from behind. My reflexes almost kicked in. 

Almost.

"Stay away from my daughter, Strife," a voice hissed into my ear. Of course! Lockheart wasn't going to _chase_ me. He'd just wait until I went home. I gulped.

"I didn't do anything!" I stated. Like he'd believe me…this guy was crazy. 

"I don't care. Stay. Away. From. Her," he ordered. I winced, pretending not to listen. His grip on my arm tightened. "Are you listening to me? Cloud?! Are you paying attention, Cloud?" 

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"Cloud? Cloud, wake up dear! You're going to be late for your last day of school!" I shook awake, swatting my mom's hands away. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and looked at her. 

"Mornin," I muttered. She looked at me, worried.

"Nightmare?" she asked while gesturing to the breakfast she'd made for us. 

"No…" 

"Were you dreaming about the fireflies?" I winced. Told you! Girls can so read minds. 

"Maybe." My mom took the hint and let it drop. 

Sure, the whole fireflies thing actually happened. (Last spring, in fact….it's the end of summer now.) And yes, it did end with me just about getting the crap beaten out of me by overprotective Mr. Lockheart. 

School started three weeks ago. So why was this my last day?

Because, come Sunday, I'm gone. 

I was actually leaving Saturday night, because I have to walk to a nearby town to get picked up with the rest of the recruits from the smaller towns. 

So basically I'm just going to school to grab my stuff and then I'm leaving. Because I don't want the stares, the questions, the laughs…I just want to get out of this place.

My only regret? Leaving Mom.

And Tifa…

Somehow, I ended up sitting in the back of the classroom for one last time, listening to my teachers talk on and on about history, math, language, etc. I made it through lunch, sitting alone like always. Then back to class.

Finally, the day was over. 

I sat emptying my locker in the abandoned hallway. It was the weekend, so everyone had ran out the door immediately following the last bell. Except me.

Last days change nothing.

"Cloud?" I looked up from where I was stuffing things into my book bag and dropped the book I was holding.

"Hi…Tifa…" I said, blushing and looking away. Tifa reached down and picked up the book I dropped, handing it to me. 

"So…it's really your last day?" she asked.

"Yup." I continued to stuff things in my book bag, not wanting to look at her. 

"You're…actually leaving…" I looked up. And this time, I know it wasn't the lights. Tifa looked sad.

"Yeah…I'm actually...leaving…" 

"Well…I…I wanted to give you this…" she said, reaching into her book bag and looking for something. I blushed harder. Tifa wanted to give _me_ something. 

I am the luckiest guy on the Planet. 

She pulled a small picture out of her pack and handed it to me. 

"I don't want you to forget, okay?" she said, smiling at the picture. I looked at it and smiled too.

It was us, sitting on the well, on the night I promised to be her hero. 

On the night she _asked_ me to be her hero. 

"T-thanks," I said, looking up at her. I hope she understood that I meant it. 

"You're welcome, Cloud," she said. She then looked down the hallway behind me and then the hallway behind her. 

Who was she looking for? We were alone. 

Satisfied with the fact that we were alone, Tifa took a hesitant step closer.

"Remember, you promised to be my hero Cloud," she said. "You better keep it." She then reached over and kissed my cheek. 

_She kissed me!_

Tifa pulled back and blushed, smiling at me before waving and heading back off down the hallway. I just stared after her, shocked. I then pinched myself.

"OW!" Okay, so I wasn't dreaming…

I looked happily down at the picture she'd given me and put it carefully in my pocket. Then I grabbed my stuff and ran home to tell Mom.

Saturday Night

I stood on the stairs again…one last time. I'd probably never come back to this Manor.

"I'm going," I announced to no one. "Um…thanks for letting me come in here and not eating me." Silence. "I'm going to become stronger…and then I'll be able to protect Tifa. I may not come back for awhile, but…I will someday. Probably not soon, but someday. Because I promised." I headed down the stairs and stopped at the door, turning around. 

"Goodbye!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. My voice echoed around the building, so I was sure everything heard me. 

"…_Goodbye Cloud…"_

I stopped for a moment at the door. Taking a quick glance around the Manor, I shook my head. Just dreaming, I was just dreaming that there had been a three voice reply. I smiled slightly and walked out into the cool night air.

I hesitated when I got to the gate separating the grounds from the town. All the weight of the realization that I was actually going to _leave_ the very place that I lived all of my childhood had started to hit me. 

_I'm going to get stronger._ I told myself, nodding. I took a step forward. A noise from behind me stopped my march. I swung around and stared at the open door to the Shinra Manor. 

That's strange, I closed that door. 

A bright little light zoomed out of the door and fluttered towards me. I knew what it was right away. 

_A firefly._

Wait, that couldn't be it. Fireflies are spring-early summer bugs. What would one be doing still alive?

I caught the little bug, smiling down at it. It was a lot like me, I guessed. Totally out of place in this time. I walked home, still holding the bug in my hand. 

"Almost ready?" Mom asked when I walked in. I just nodded and walked over to the cabinets where we kept all the clear jars. I pulled one out and put the firefly in it, closing the lid quickly. "Is that a firefly?" 

"Yup. I found it around the Manor. It's a goodbye present to Tifa," I said. I looked down at the bug, smiling when I saw how bright it glowed all alone. 

I hurried outside and quickly climbed to my roof. Then, as quietly as I could, I jumped over and caught the ledge of Tifa's window. I placed the jar with the bug there and then dropped back to the ground.

Much to my mother's mortification. 

"Cloud! You could have broken your neck!" she hissed, shaking her head at me. I just grinned. 

"Don't worry, Mom. I won't hurt myself." She didn't seem to believe me, but she dropped it. I walked back inside to get my bags. 

Because I was walking, I really wasn't taking much with me. Mom said she'd send me more of whatever I needed by mail, if I need anything. 

That's nice; I was looking forward to her letters. 

It took me longer than I wanted to collect all of my stuff. The little "what ifs" kept coming back to me. I came back out and saw my mom was crying. 

"Mom? Are you alright?" I asked. I dropped the bags and ran over to her, giving her a hug. 

"When did you grow up?" she asked, returning the hug and then letting go, soothing my hair down with her hand. "You're going away already." She wiped a stray tear from her eye, smiling sadly at me. "You be safe now, alright? I still can't believe I'm letting you go join SOLIDER. But…if it's what you want….please keep in touch with me, Cloud…Your old mother hates to be alone." I smiled at her, feeling like I was going to cry myself. 

"I'll come back, Mom. And you're not old, either." Mom laughed, kissing my forehead. 

"I love you, Cloud."

"I love you too Mom." I picked up my bags again, a little indigently this time, and sighed. "Well…goodbye." 

"Be safe, my son," she said. I waved and headed off. 

I made it to the edge of town before looking back. I could still see my mom, waiting by our door. Just in case I turned back. But I didn't. I couldn't…not now. This was my dream…I had to live it through. 

I looked ahead of me, surprised to see a light sitting by the signpost that marked the "entrance" to my small town. 

"What, no goodbye?" a voice asked. 

"Tifa?" I replied, smiling. So the light was my little wayward firefly. Tifa jumped down from where she was sitting on the fence next to the post. 

"You're leaving," she stated. 

"Yea…I'm going to become stronger," I said. _For you_. Tifa smiled, holding the jar close to her chest. 

"Don't forget me, Cloud," she said as I walked past her. "Please…" I looked back and her and nodded.

"I'll never forget you, Tifa," I promised. She smiled and nodded, playing with the lid of the jar. 

"Goodbye Cloud." 

"I'll come back for you, Tifa," I said. I turned away. As I did, Tifa opened the lid of the jar and let the tiny firefly out. 

"I'll wait for you," she whispered. 

As we watched, the one light flew into the fields in front of us. Then one light became two. 

Call it impulse, call it stupidity, call me hopelessly romantic, but I did it anyway. I took her hand, pulled her close, and kissed her quickly on the lips. 

I pulled away, smiling, and took my first running steps towards those lights.

_My love is like a firefly._

_It flies alone in the midnight sky._

_Look up at once and guess what you'll see?_

_The only light in the sky is me. _

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**A/N: Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed it. Please Review**

**Sno: If you liked it alots (Yes, I said alots, without the space and with an s!) tell us so, for we might make another...between Nobody's Listening (and my sis's crazyamount of_other_ fanfictions)and Angelic Wings, lol. **

**Jynx: Paring suggustions appreciated! **

**Sno: And welcome!**

**Jynx: Because these don't all have to be about Cloud/Tifa. **

**Sno: CLOTI FOR EVER!**

**Jynx: -sigh- Right. Wait, aren't you doing a RufTi fan fiction?**

**Sno: ...I changed my mind about that. **

**Jynx: Sure. Okay, thanks for reading!**


	3. Part III: Thinking of Spring

**A/N**: AND WE'RE STILL ALIVE! (You thought I had forgotten, didn't you? WELL YOU'RE WRONG!)

Sno: -smacks-

Jynx: Okay, I'm done...Anyway, this isn't a CloTi pairing like the last two chapters have been. This is a VinLucre pairing, so if you don't like...

Sno: And how can you _not_...

Jynx: then sorry, skip this chapter, and send me a request on which pairing you'd like to see next. - That's fair, isn't it?

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

DreamlessRiver: The idea

Sno Italever: The Pairing and shouting for me to type it up

Lady Nate (My Best Friend): For stealing the Laptop and typing this better than I could.

ONE LAST THING!

"Oopse. I fell..." (You'll get it later)

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You Said You Wanted Fireflies

Part III: Thinking of Spring

So much had changed, in so little time. The first thirty years, I didn't change…mentally, at least. Physically was another story.

Thank you Hojo.

No…thank you _Lucrecia_.

But then I met _them_. Speed up evolution, skin mutation, metamorphosis of the mind. I was forced to come to terms with myself, with my demons, with my memories.

Oh, that was _fun_, yes, just about as fun as facing Weiss the Immaculate or being ripped apart by the Lifestream and then put back together again.

It probably wasn't the smartest idea to come back to the Shinra Mansion, but no matter.

I had forgotten how oppressing silence can be without my many demons to fill it. I don't miss them, no…good riddance, really. But…

After thirty years, it's a stark difference to take silence over mindless chatter, especially because their mindless chatter kept my mind off of trying to "atone for my sins."

Outside, it was raining. I stared into the rain, not feeling the warmth from the fire burning in the hearth I sat in front of. Lightning struck in the distance, thunder rolled soon after it. This would be, like it always was, a long night.

**-Outside-**

Galain Beast stared in the window, watching his old host with a look of pity.

"Well, Ser Chaos, it seems he has once again fallen into that dark and dismal pit the humans call 'mourning.'"

"No shit, Sherlock," Chaos groaned. "Is he still mooning over that girl? Didn't we teach him anything?"

"He was-is- in love with her, Ser Chaos."

"Well, he needs to stop thinking of all the unhappy memories and remember the happy ones. Wait, does he have happy memories with that girl?"

"He has to."

"Find one then. Trigger it."

"Fireflies."

"What the heck? A bug? Did he choke on it and then she give him mouth to mouth resuscitation or something?"

"Not at all, Ser Chaos!" laughed Galain. "Though that would be funny, wouldn't it?"

"No. Pitiful, maybe. Who chokes on a bug?" Chaos scoffed, looking at his ex-host and shaking his head. "Okay, bring on the bugs with the glowing butts. Let's see what this triggers."

"Of course, Ser Chaos," Galain replied, stepping back from the window and opening his palm. Hundreds of fireflies flew from it and drifted towards the sky, despite the rain.

**-Inside-**

Lights outside, even in this storm? They reminded me of little candles, though I doubt any person would brave the torrent outside, or light a candle.

The lights didn't go out. I walked to the window and looked out. No, they were little dots flying around in the wind.

Fireflies…of all things...

**-The Past, a Memory-**

"Vincent? Are you there?" Lucrecia asked. He had been staring off into space again, thinking about who knows what. Maybe he was thinking about how beautiful the day was outside? Lucrecia laughed slightly. As if!

"Yes Ms. Crescent," he replied, blushing slightly and looking back at her.

"What was so interesting outside, Vincent? And would you call me Lucrecia?"

"It's just…bright outside, Ms. Cres…Lucrecia."

"Of course it's bright! It's spring, Vincent! Isn't that wonderful?" Lucrecia got up from her desk and walked to the window, smiling. "I love the spring…it's like the whole Planet has come back to life after such a long period of death."

"I guess you are right."

"Come on, Vincent! Have you never noticed?"

"I guess I haven't. I've always preferred winter."

"Is that a reflection of your personality, Vincent? Icy, cold, and dead?" Lucrecia giggled, joking.

"Is spring a reflection of yours? Rainy, unpredictable, and allergy-causing?" Vincent replied, matching her satiric tone.

"There's a good side to spring, Vincent!"

"There's a good side to winter too. But I'd be interested in seeing this 'good side' to spring."

"You know what?" Lucrecia said, turning to face him and smiling. "I'll show you that good side to spring! Tonight, in fact. What do you say to that?"

"You'll show me?" Vincent replied doubtfully, standing slightly straighter. What did she have in mind?

"Yes, Vincent. You."

"Just me?"

"Of course!" He blushed slightly, but she didn't notice.

"How are you going to convince Professor Hojo to leave you alone?" Vincent asked, not adding the obvious "with me" on the end of that sentence.

"I'll just tell him that I'm doing an experiment…and that…you're my assistant," Lucrecia replied wisely.

"It would probably work better if you called me your 'experiment' instead," Vincent muttered.

"What was that, Vincent?"

"Nothing, Ms. Crescent."

"Vincent, what have I told you about my name?"

"Lucrecia, I mean." Lucrecia smiled and patted his cheek softly.

"You're so funny sometimes, _Mr. Valentine_."

"Vincent," Vincent corrected.

"See, you don't like it either. We can refer to each other by a first name basis, Vincent. Deal?"

"Deal," Vincent replied, smiling slightly.

"Well, see you tonight then," she said brightly, walking out of the room, leaving Vincent with his thoughts.

His mind waited until he could no longer hear her footsteps before allowing him to resister what he'd just agreed to. That is, spending a night with Lucrecia Crescent.

_Alone_.

"Whoa, hold on there Valentine. Keep your head straight…" he said, shaking his head. He then turned bright red. "Wait…did I just agree…to…a….date?" He rubbed his eyes, shook his head, and pinched himself. "I'm not dreaming, either…SHIT!" He quickly pulled out his cell phone.

"Hullo?"

"Hey Zel, I have a question for you. Actually, I need some advice."

"Advice?" Zel, a fellow Turk and the person Vincent had called, questioned. "From me?"

"Dating Advice," Vincent whispered guiltily. Zel laughed.

"Got a notepad?"

**-That Night-**

"Change," Lucrecia ordered.

"But Lucreica…" Vincent protested.

"Come on, Vincent! You practically _live_ in that uniform! Don't you have any other outfits?"

"I do but…"

"Then go change! Look, I'm not wearing my lab coat anymore, so the least change your shirt."

"But…"

"No buts! Go change." Vincent sighed and did what he was told.

She was right, though. She was no longer wearing her lab coat. Actually, she wasn't even wearing the normal drab and boring clothes she normally wore and was wearing a halter top summer dress, cinched at the neck and under the bodice with blue embroidery at both cinched places and the bottom hem, complete with a sun hat that had a pretty blue ribbon tied around it, despite the fact that it was dark out. She'd gotten the reaction she'd wanted out of Vincent, though.

He'd blushed, seeing her look so informal.

He came in back three minutes flat, wearing comfortable looking classic blue jeans and a black tee-shirt. His hands were shoved in his pockets and he looked slightly embarrassed. Lucrecia had half a mind to ask him where his gun was put, for she saw no obvious spot, but kept the question to herself.

"See, aren't you more comfortable?" she teased. He nodded shyly. "Well, let's go then!" She grabbed his hand and led him out of the house, towards the sakura tree on the hill. The same place she had found him napping last summer; it was a wonderful place for a picnic.

"Why are we going there?" he asked. It was a lame attempt to keep the conversation going so he didn't focus on the fact that Lucrecia Crescent was _holding his hand._

"Because I like it up there. It is the only place far enough away from the Mansion without actually leaving the town that makes me forget about work."

"I see."

"Of course you do," she laughed as they arrived at the tree. She sat down and Vincent followed suit. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed happily. Crickets chirped in the distance and cicadas sang their song from the trees.

"Isn't this just wonderful?"

It truly was beautiful, though Vincent didn't want to admit it. He just nodded.

"I mean, doesn't it make you just want to do something _completely_ out of character?" she asked excitedly. Vincent blushed and raised an eyebrow.

"Like what?" he asked, trying to remain monotone (and failing).

"Like…dance!" Lucrecia said uncertainly. She smiled innocently.

"Right."

"Will you dance with me Vincent?"

" I don't dance." Lucrecia pouted. "Really." She sighed and stood up.

"Well, don't mind me then," she stated, spinning around playfully. "But you don't know what you're missing." Vincent shook his head. It was getting really hard not to stand up and dance with her (because all Turks knew how to dance, despite recent protests made by the whole force). At least he wouldn't embarrass himself.

He started to stand up. Unfortunately, this was right when Gravity decided to make her appearance. As Vincent began to get his footing, Lucrecia lost hers. She fell into him and they fell to the ground with an "oof" from Vincent.

"Oopse…" Lucrecia said, blushing. "I fell…"

Thank you, Captain Obvious!

They both made a move to try to sit up into a less erotic position. Because neither of them voiced this, though, they hit their foreheads together, causing the opposite of their intent to occur.

They landed in an even more awkward position, with Vincent crushed beneath every inch of 110 pound Lucrecia, her hand on his thigh, his hand target met. Their lips were scant centimeters away. If one might breathe, they would be kissing.

When they had fallen, tiny bugs jumped from hiding places and lit the sky with pin pricks of light. Neither had noticed, they were so entranced with the other.

"Umm…Vincent? I, uh…your hand…?" Lucrecia stuttered, her face more red than an apple. When she spoke, her lips brushed his, making the red deepen.

"Wha? OH!" Vincent blushed from crown to toes, so crimson it put his eyes to shame. "I am SORRY!! I didn't! That was….such an accident! It wasn't my intent! Here I am, molesting you and I'm supposed to be protecting you. I swear I didn't want to, well I mean I don't mind touching you. I mean NO! That came out wrong! Well, right but I didn't want you to KNOW or anything. I..I'm just gonna stop talking now." He fell silent, still not having moved his hand through his embarrassing rant. He realized this and snatched his hand away. "And stop raping you."

Lucrecia stared at him. "I think…that's the most words you've ever said to me in the same breath." She giggled. "And I didn't mind, exactly. I mean…well, you know what I mean."

"Do I ever," he whispered, barely audible. She heard him, belying the nearness of the whole encounter.

Lucrecia's neck, until now keeping her head slightly raised above his, seemed to lose all strength as a magnetic pull pressed her lips to Vincent's. She yanked back, shocked at her audacity. A look of wonder met hers. Hunger soon replaced wonder as he traded their places so her back met the grass and their lips met again. Lips worked in synchrony and deepened. When hands began to wander to their original post-fall positions, they drew apart, panting.

Flushed from the exercise and also puzzled, Lucrecia inquired, "What just happened?"

"Let me answer that one when I'm sure."

"Alright. Then answer this one: what is digging into my thigh?"

He hoisted her off his hips, turned slightly, and reached into his pocket to pull out a gun and held it out for her inspection.

"So that's where you stashed it," Lucrecia smiled. "I was wondering."

"Guilty as charged, but I am supposed to be protecting you," he returned her blood warming smile with a crooked one of his own.

She was about to respond when a bright dot of light lit upon Vincent's nose and he quickly sat up and went cross eyed in an effort to see the firefly. Lucrecia joined him sitting across from him, giggling at the humorous cross, red eyed Turk.

"Look, the fireflies are out. Nibelhiem is famous for them, you know," Lucrecia said, giggling again. Vincent huffed and blew air upward to try to get the bug to leave the nest it had made on his nose. The bug flew away and Vincent was smug. Another bug took its place. Vincent grumbled but didn't do anything about it.

"Aw, they like you!" Vincent blew air up again. The bug left and another took its place, just like the last one.

"Oh for the love of…!" Vincent raised his hand to shoo the bug away. Lucrecia reached over and slid the little critter off of his nose and let it fly from her hand.

"Isn't this just beautiful?" she said dreamily.

"They aren't the only thing."

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"You know I heard you."

"Yeah, I know…"

"You're so funny sometimes, Vincent! You have a big heart, so show it! You should speak up more, you know! Let your opinion be…."

**-Fade back to Reality-**

Vincent jerked awake when he felt something small tickle his nose. Going cross-eyed, he looked at the small firefly resting on his nose.

"Hello again…How did you get in?" he asked, carefully holding the bug in his hand. "I didn't open the window…Oh, the rain stopped…" The firefly flew from his outstretched hand and out the window Vincent didn't remember opening. He smiled faintly, watching the tiny light join the others in their dance. A tear escaped the cage that Vincent locked his emotions in as he laughed.

"You know, Lucrecia….I think I'm beginning to like spring…"

**-Outside-**

"I hope you're happy, Galain. We're soaking wet and surrounded by pesky little bugs," Chaos grumbled, flicking a firefly off his shoulder and sending flying into oblivion.

"Oh, I am ecstatic! This is _wonderful _Ser Chaos! Look how happy Master Valentine is!" Galain cheered, leaping up and down.

"You're creeping me out Galain."

"And you're just plain creepy, Ser Chaos."

"You know what, you're right. He does have happy memories with that crazy girlfriend of his…" Chaos paused for a moment and put a finger on his chin. To Galain's surprise, he looked very deep in thought. Galain began to believe that the Great Demon Lord Chaos could actually say something intelligent!

"Do you think he got laid?"

Or not.

* * *

**A/N: **Well?? What do you think? (Beside that Chaos is an idiot.) Reviews? Comments? Questions? Ideas? Pairing Suggestions? Flames (welcome but will be used to make french toast!).

Sno: Thank you for reading. Hope you enjoyed it.

Lady Nate: -laughs hysterically-

Jynx: Shut it, flying squirrel

Lady Nate: GET BACK HERE TOTO! Get back in the basket!

Until Next Time!


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